North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Facts · North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2012-2016 3 General...

North Carolina

Pedestrian Crash Facts2012 - 2016

December 2018

Prepared for

The North Carolina Department of TransportationDivision of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

Mike Vann Libby Thomas Daniel Levitt

North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Facts

2012-2016

Prepared for

The North Carolina Department of Transportation

Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

Prepared by

The University of North Carolina

Highway Safety Research Center

Mike Vann

Libby Thomas

Daniel Levitt

December 2018

North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2012-2016

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Contents

General NC Pedestrian Crash Trends .............................................................................................. 3

Pedestrian Characteristics .............................................................................................................. 6

Pedestrian Age ............................................................................................................................ 6

Pedestrian Injury ......................................................................................................................... 8

Pedestrian Alcohol/Drug Use ...................................................................................................... 9

Pedestrian Gender .................................................................................................................... 11

Driver Characteristics .................................................................................................................... 11

Driver Age ................................................................................................................................. 12

Driver Alcohol/Drug Use ........................................................................................................... 12

Where Pedestrian Crashes Occur ................................................................................................. 13

Development Extent ................................................................................................................. 13

Development Type .................................................................................................................... 14

Temporal and Environmental Factors .......................................................................................... 15

Month of Year ........................................................................................................................... 15

Day of Week and Time of Day ................................................................................................... 15

Light Conditions ........................................................................................................................ 16

Weather .................................................................................................................................... 18

Roadway Characteristics ............................................................................................................... 18

Roadway Type ........................................................................................................................... 18

Speed Limit ................................................................................................................................ 19

References .................................................................................................................................... 21


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Figures

Figure 1 Pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes by year and rural/urban location ............................................. 3 Figure 2 Fatal and disabling injury pedestrian crashes ................................................................................. 5 Figure 3 Alcohol or drug use by pedestrian injury level ............................................................................. 11 Figure 4 Pedestrian crashes by month ........................................................................................................ 15 Figure 5 Pedestrian crashes by day of week ............................................................................................... 16 Figure 6 Pedestrian crashes by time of day ................................................................................................ 16 Figure 7 Pedestrian crashes by light conditions ......................................................................................... 17 Figure 8 Pedestrian crashes by weather conditions ................................................................................... 18 Figure 9 Pedestrian crashes by road configuration .................................................................................... 19 Figure 10 Pedestrian crashes and fatal/disabling injury by posted speed limit of roadway ...................... 20

Tables

Table 1 Pedestrian crashes resulting in fatal injuries, 2014-2016 ................................................................ 4 Table 2 Age group of pedestrians involved in crashes.................................................................................. 7 Table 3 Pedestrian age group crash rate by population, 2012-2016 ............................................................ 8 Table 4 Pedestrian age group crash rate by population, 2007-2011 ............................................................ 8 Table 5 Five-year pedestrian crash injury levels ........................................................................................... 9 Table 6 Pedestrian injury severity by age group ........................................................................................... 9 Table 7 Pedestrian use of alcohol or drugs ................................................................................................. 10 Table 8 Gender by injury level .................................................................................................................... 11 Table 9 Age of drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians ...................................................................... 12 Table 10 Driver use of alcohol or drugs ...................................................................................................... 13 Table 11 Driver use of alcohol or drugs by pedestrian injury level ............................................................ 13 Table 12 Pedestrian crashes by development extent ................................................................................. 14 Table 13 Pedestrian crashes by development type .................................................................................... 14 Table 14 Rural/urban crashes by light conditions ...................................................................................... 17


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General NC Pedestrian Crash Trends

This report provides a summary of crash trends and crash-related factors (where, when, who was involved, and conditions present) for pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes across the State. The information should help road safety practitioners, partners, and the public understand prevalent crash and injury-related factors. In turn, this understanding can help suggest a focus for potential treatments. Between 2007 and 2016, at least 27,279 crashes between pedestrians and motor vehicles were reported by North Carolina public safety agencies (Figure 1). The highest total number of collisions for the entire ten-year period occurred in 2016 with 3,192. The five years between 2007 and 2011 averaged 2,457 total pedestrian crashes per year, while the five years between 2012 and 2016 averaged 2,999 per year, a 22 percent increase. Urban crashes accounted for 74 percent of the total over the 10 years while rural crashes were 26 percent. Urban areas have reported an average of 26 percent more crashes from 2012-2016 compared with 2007-2011, while rural areas have reported close to 13 percent more. Thus, the rise in crashes over the decade has occurred more in urban areas compared with rural ones. Unfortunately, exposure data are lacking that might help to explain these trends in reported crashes. Increasing urbanization of the State could potentially contribute to the trend as well as an increasing trend of walking in cities and towns relative to unincorporated areas.

Figure 1 Pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes by year and rural/urban location

Beginning in 2014, the research team began an effort to compile the total number of pedestrians killed and injured in crashes. The numbers of collisions involving multiple pedestrians is relatively small, but identifying the precise numbers killed and injured is not always straight-forward. In some cases, a pedestrian may die within the 30-day period following a crash in which a fatality is assumed to be crash-

742 661 658 698 592806 736 790 735 708

18061711 1760 1846

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related, but all the data may not be updated in time for inclusion in these records. This threshold on reporting may exclude cases when a person in a crash dies of injures received after 30 days. In other cases, there are errors or inconsistencies in the data that require further inspection to resolve. Despite these issues, our best efforts suggest that for the 2014-16 period, a total of 588 pedestrians were killed in the 9,235 total crashes over these years and included in the analyses below (Table 1). Five crashes were indicated to involve multiple pedestrian fatalities during this three-year period.

Table 1 Pedestrian crashes resulting in fatal injuries, 2014-2016

Definitions 2014 2015 2016 3-yrs Totals

Crash Severity = Fatal (highest injury severity = one or more persons in the crash were killed)

177 194 212 583

Total Number of Pedestrians Killed 177 198 213 588 Pedestrian Injury Severity = killed (first pedestrian in the crash, may not be fatally injured)

176 193 209 578

Total Crashes - all severity included in these analyses 2,989 3,054 3,192 9,235

The remainder of this report will focus on the most recent five-year period. Between 2012 and 2016, a total of 14,993 pedestrian crashes were reported. The highest numbers of both fatal and disabling injury crashes over the five years was reported in 2016 (Figure 2).1 During 2016, the NC Department of Transportation revised the definition of A-type injuries from disabling to serious and B-type injuries from evident to minor. This is a possible explanation for the rise in A-type injuries in 2016. These revised injury categories were likely phased in at different times across the many reporting jurisdictions in the state and were not in effect for the full year. Therefore, in the tables below, the labels of ‘disabling injury’ and ‘evident injury’ were applied to all 2016 A-type and B-type severity indications, respectively, as it cannot be determined which may have been reported under the updated severity definitions.

1 The number of pedestrians killed and injured here reflects only the “first” pedestrian reported on in the crash.


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Figure 2 Fatal and disabling injury pedestrian crashes

The amount, times, locations of walking, and traffic conditions present, affect collision frequencies and the severity of injuries involving pedestrians, but we lack data on amounts of walking in NC to compare among years. The types of facilities availablethe amount of separation from traffic (places and times to safely walk and cross), the availability of lighting, and other factorsalso affect the risk of pedestrian collisions and injuries. Other risk factors include motor vehicle traffic volumes, speeds and driver yielding behaviors. Similarly, the knowledge and behaviors of those walking affect their risk. Alcohol or drug use by either the driver or pedestrian may be a factor. Distracted walking and driving also may play a role. Crashes are officially reportable to the NC Division of Motor Vehicles (source of these data) if a fatality, injury, or at least $1,000 property damage occurred. The data in this report and behind the query tool on this websiteNorth Carolina Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Data Tool website may include a small number of non-injury (or non-observed injury) collisions with low property damage that were not officially reportable, but which had nevertheless been reported to the State Division of Motor Vehicles by local agencies. Non-reportable collisions may not be included in other State crash statistics. Because under-reporting of pedestrian crashes is common,2 any collisions in the database that involved pedestrians were retained in these data. In addition, injuries, even serious injuries that led to visits to emergency departments or other medical facilities, are sometimes noted after the crash report is filed, but crash reports may not be updated with such information. As with all crash data, the reported numbers in the crash characteristics that follow undoubtedly reflect some error, including errors or gaps in reporting, as well as errors made during data entry or coding that may have affected the trends presented above and in the following tables and charges, despite the

2 Injury to Pedestrians and Bicyclists: An analysis based on hospital emergency department data. Report No. FHWA-RD-99-078. US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.

215165 199 192 219

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research team’s efforts to ensure the highest quality and completeness possible.3 Updates to the data in future years may, therefore, affect the trends and statistics presented in this summary. This sections below summarize the person, location types, time, environmental and roadway characteristics for the pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes identified statewide for 2012-2016. This information, and similar information developed for local communities, can be used to analyze safety issues, and aid in the targeting of resources and countermeasures to address pedestrian safety factors. See the companion North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Types summary report for descriptions of crash groups, along with an analysis of the most common and deadly crash group in North Carolina. This specific crash information can also aid in identifying and developing appropriate treatments.

Pedestrian Characteristics

Although, as noted, there are a few crashes involving more than one pedestrian, the following characteristics are associated with the ‘first’ pedestrian reported on in the crash. The numbers and percentages in the tables below reflect the first pedestrian involved in the crash and exclude cases with missing data for the pedestrian.

Pedestrian Age Table 2 shows pedestrian crashes by age group for each year of the study period. (Age intervals vary to show more detail for younger age groups). Adults between 31 and 40 accounted for the highest proportion of these crashes with 15 percent while among younger age groups, those between 21 and 25 were involved in the highest percentage with more than 12 percent. It can also be noted that the crashes involving seniors 71 and older have increased in percent every year through the study period, the percent for pedestrians 51 – 60 and 61 – 70 also increased in recent years.

3 Note that each crash report was reviewed for the data described in these reports and available on the NCDOT-DBPT website for query. This review offered the opportunity to correct some types of detectable errors.


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Table 2 Age group of pedestrians involved in crashes4

Pedestrian Age 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

0-5 87 69 68 68 74 366 2.9%1 2.5% 2.3% 2.2% 2.3% 2.4%2

6-10 86 103 95 78 95 457 2.9% 3.7% 3.2% 2.6% 3.0% 3.0%

11-15 193 148 170 161 154 826 6.4% 5.4% 5.7% 5.3% 4.8% 5.5%

16-20 332 301 310 325 317 1,585 11.1% 10.9% 10.4% 10.6% 9.9% 10.6%

21-25 366 348 368 352 388 1,822 12.2% 12.6% 12.3% 11.5% 12.2% 12.2%

26-30 290 271 305 329 337 1,532 9.7% 9.8% 10.2% 10.8% 10.6% 10.2%

31-40 442 375 455 485 490 2,247 14.7% 13.6% 15.2% 15.9% 15.4% 15.0%

41-50 481 452 130 434 426 2,223 16.0% 16.4% 14.4% 14.2% 13.3% 14.8%

51-60 350 357 411 429 478 2,025 11.7% 12.9% 13.8% 14.0% 15.0% 13.5%

61-70 226 204 222 228 245 1,125 7.5% 7.4% 7.4% 7.5% 7.7% 7.5%

71+ 115 113 142 157 174 701 3.8% 4.1% 4.8% 5.1% 5.5% 4.7%

Total 2,968 2,741 2,976 3,046 3,178 14,9094

19.9%3 18.5% 20.0% 20.4% 21.3% Combining age categories into larger ranges gives a more in-depth picture of pedestrian crash involvement by population and how it has changed over time (Table 3 and Table 4). Between 2012-2016 as well as from 2007-2011, young adults ages 16 to 34 had the highest yearly crash rate per 10,000 residents. It is notable that the crash rate for all adult age groups increased significantly between both 5-year periods while the rate for juveniles remained the same. The rate of increase was substantially higher than the population growth rate for the age brackets. The crash rate for the 16-34-year age group increased 17 percent while the population estimates suggest increases of about 4 percent. The crash rate for the 35-64-year group increased 16 percent while the population increased 3 percent, and the crash rate for over 65 increased 47 percent while the population increased 17 percent.

4 In this and each subsequent table, unless otherwise denoted, the formatting is as follows: The top row for each variable level is the count of crashes with that characteristic. The bottom row in each category is that category’s percentage of the yearly (or other column) total. 1 = Row percent of column total 2 = Row total percent of total 3 = Column total percent of total 4 = Total includes total minus any cases with missing or unknown data


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Further research would be needed to determine if these increases have to do with higher rates of walking, behavioral changes, or other reasons.

Table 3 Pedestrian age group crash rate by population, 2012-2016

Pedestrian age group

Total crashes,

2012-2016

Avg. 1-year Count

July 2014 population estimate5

Avg. yearly crash rate / 10,000

< 16 1,649 329.8 2,038,703 1.6 16-34 5,944 1,188.8 2,538,336 4.7 35-64 6,050 1,210.0 3,914,087 3.1 65+ 1,266 253.2 1,454,516 1.7 All Ages Total 14,909 2,981.8 9,945,642 3.0

Table 4 Pedestrian age group crash rate by population, 2007-2011

Pedestrian age group

Total crashes,

2007-2011

Avg. 1-year Count

July 2009 population estimate

Avg. yearly crash rate / 10,000

< 16 1,638 327.6 2,009,421 1.6 16-34 4,682 936.4 2,428,848 3.9 35-64 4,930 986.0 3,792,541 2.6 65+ 903 180.6 1,204,586 0.9 All Ages Total 12,153 2,430.6 9,435,396 2.6

Pedestrian Injury Table 5 shows the data for all five years for pedestrian crashes.6 Pedestrian crashes tend to be especially serious, with over 6 percent resulting in fatal injury in NC over the study period. By comparison, around 0.5 percent of all motor vehicle crashes in NC result in fatal injuries.7 Additionally, nearly 7 percent of all pedestrian crashes resulted in serious (A-type) injuries over the five-year period. As mentioned earlier, the number of fatalities for 2016 was the highest for the five-year period, which reflects national trends. The sharp increase in unknown injury crashes in 2016 was the result of missing data from some municipalities.

5 Population estimates from North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management website: https://files.nc.gov/ncosbm/demog/statesingleage_2010_2019.html. 6 Counts are of crashes with the most severe injury reported. 7 North Carolina 2016 Traffic Crash Facts: https://connect.ncdot.gov/business/DMV/DMV%20Documents/2016%20Crash%20Facts.pdf

https://files.nc.gov/ncosbm/demog/statesingleage_2010_2019.html

https://connect.ncdot.gov/business/DMV/DMV%20Documents/2016%20Crash%20Facts.pdf


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Table 5 Five-year pedestrian crash injury levels

Pedestrian injury 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

K: Killed 188 163 176 192 210 929

6.3% 5.9% 5.9% 6.3% 6.6% 6.2%

A: Disabling Injury 215 165 199 192 219 990

7.2% 6.0% 6.7% 6.3% 6.9% 6.6%

B: Evident Injury 1,070 938 1,044 1,066 1,096 5,214 35.7% 34.0% 34.9% 34.9% 34.3% 34.8%

C: Possible Injury 1,247 1,219 1,304 1,372 1,243 6,385 41.6% 44.2% 43.6% 44.9% 38.9% 42.6%

O: No Injury 165 179 167 154 208 873

5.5% 6.5% 5.6% 5.0% 6.5% 5.8%

Unknown Injury 112 97 99 78 216 602

3.7% 3.5% 3.3% 2.6% 6.8% 4.0%

Total 2,997 2,761 2,989 3,054 3,192 14,993 20.0% 18.4% 19.9% 20.4% 21.3%

Analyzing the data by larger age groups finds that pedestrians 35 and older are over-represented in fatal or disabling injury crashes compared with their involvement in all crashes (Table 6). This may represent differences in frailty when involved in a collision, as well as differences in the typical walking environments compared to younger ages.

Table 6 Pedestrian injury severity by age group

Pedestrian age group Fatal or Disabling Injury Evident, Possible, No, or Unknown Injury Total

< 16 167 1,482 1,649

8.7% 11.4% 11.1%

16-34 704 5,240 5,944

36.8% 40.3% 39.9%

35-64 852 5,198 6,050

44.5% 40.0% 40.6%

65+ 190 1,076 1,266

9.9% 8.3% 8.5%

Total 1,913 12,996 14,9098 12.8% 87.2%

Pedestrian Alcohol/Drug Use The investigating officer indicated alcohol and/or drug use by an average of 12 percent of pedestrians struck where use was known (Table 7). Suspected alcohol or drug use does not imply that a pedestrian

8 This number does not include crashes where the pedestrian’s age was unknown.


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was intoxicated, but that evidence of alcohol or drug use was detected or suspected by an investigating officer and may have played a role. There is no clear evidence of an increasing role of drugs in pedestrian crashes as shown by these data, but it is uncertain how well officers are able to detect the presence of many types of potentially impactful drugs when investigating crashes. More in-depth studies including medical data are needed to assess the potential role of opioids and other drugs.

Table 7 Pedestrian use of alcohol or drugs

Pedestrian alcohol/drug

use suspected or detected

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

No 2,446 2,234 2,458 2,500 2,664 12,302 81.9% 81.2% 82.3% 82.2% 83.7% 82.3%

Alcohol and Drug Impairment Suspected or Detected

33 26 31 21 19 130 1.1% 0.9% 1.0% 0.7% 0.6% 0.9%

Alcohol Impairment Suspected or Detected

318 320 307 312 290 1,547 10.6% 11.6% 10.3% 10.3% 9.1% 10.3%

Drug Impairment Suspected or Detected

20 16 17 19 21 93 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.7% 0.6%

Unknown 170 156 172 191 190 921

5.7% 5.7% 5.8% 6.3% 6.0% 6.2%

Total 2,987 2,752 2,985 3,043 3,184 14,951 20.0% 18.4% 20.0% 20.4% 21.3%

Examining crashes where alcohol/drug use was reported by injury level shows that alcohol or drug-indicated crashes are over-represented among those resulting in fatal or disabling injury (Figure 3). While intoxicant use is suggested in close to 13 percent of total collisions (when intoxicant use was known), alcohol and/or drug use was indicated in 32 percent of fatal and disabling type injury crashes.


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Figure 3 Alcohol or drug use by pedestrian injury level

Pedestrian Gender Males accounted for around 60 percent of pedestrian crashes while females were around 40 percent. This rate remained fairly consistent through the five-year study period. Males are also more highly represented in the most serious crashes with 70 percent of fatal or disabling injury crashes having a male victim (Table 8).

Table 8 Gender by injury level

Pedestrian gender Fatal or Disabling Injury Evident, Possible, No,

or Unknown Injury Total

Female 574 5,318 5,892

30.0% 41.7% 40.2%

Male 1,338 7,441 8,779 70.0% 58.3% 59.8%

Total 1,912 12,759 14,671 13.0% 87.0%

Driver Characteristics

This section describes characteristics of drivers involved in collisions with pedestrians. One of the characteristics is that close to 21 percent of drivers were involved in hit and run crashes with pedestrians, on its own a serious problem. Traits for these hit and run drivers and some additional drivers are therefore unknown, so the numbers of drivers reported on in the following sections is lower than for the number of crashes and pedestrians.

31.8%

10.1%

68.2%

89.9%

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Fatal or Disabling Injury Evident, Possible, No orUnknown Injury

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Driver Age Similar to pedestrian age data, this table has varying age intervals to show more detail for younger drivers. Drivers aged 30 to 39 had the highest proportion of crashes for any age group over the study period with close to 18 percent (Table 9). However, drivers aged 20 to 29 have the highest proportion (23%) when combining groups. In 2016, the proportion for senior drivers 70 and over was the lowest for the five-year period, however the proportion for drivers 60 to 69 was the highest compared to earlier years. These trends may reflect increases in the population of residents ages 60 to 69 and potentially other factors.

Table 9 Age of drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians

Driver Age 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

< 20 199 182 153 152 177 863

8.0% 8.1% 6.3% 6.1% 6.8% 7.0%

20-24 326 263 287 336 318 1,530

13.1% 11.7% 11.8% 13.5% 12.3% 12.5%

25-29 251 221 264 271 272 1,279

10.1% 9.8% 10.9% 10.9% 10.5% 10.4%

30-39 440 380 431 452 471 2,174

17.7% 16.9% 17.7% 18.1% 18.2% 17.7%

40-49 410 396 388 373 404 1,971

16.5% 17.6% 16.0% 15.0% 15.6% 16.1%

50-59 366 338 398 383 390 1,875

14.7% 15.0% 16.4% 15.4% 15.1% 15.3%

60-69 271 252 271 282 338 1,414

10.9% 11.2% 11.1% 11.3% 13.0% 11.5%

70+ 229 222 240 243 221 1,155

9.2% 9.8% 9.9% 9.8% 8.5% 9.4%

Total 2,492 2,254 2,432 2,492 2,591 12,261 20.3% 18.4% 19.8% 20.3% 21.1%

Driver Alcohol/Drug Use Alcohol and/or drug use was suspected or detected in less than 5 percent of drivers involved in pedestrian crashes over the study period (Table 10) This does not necessarily imply that alcohol or drug use was a factor in the crash. The rate was higher in 2012 compared with other years. It is possible that the use of ride sharing services in recent years has led to a reduction in this factor, however further research is needed. Additionally, due to the many types of drugs and potential interactions, along with difficulty in detecting diverse types of drugs and/or their effects, the accuracy of these data is uncertain. However, with increasing concerns about opioids and other classes of drugs, there may be interest in tracking and better-understanding these data.


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Table 10 Driver use of alcohol or drugs

Driver alcohol/ drug use suspected or detected 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

No 2,256 2,072 2,242 2,299 2,374 11,243 88.0% 87.8% 87.5% 88.2% 87.3% 87.7%

Alcohol and Drugs Impairment Suspected or Detected

14 9 9 8 10 50 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 0.4%

Alcohol Impairment Suspected or Detected

109 72 81 93 86 441 4.3% 3.0% 3.2% 3.6% 3.2% 3.4%

Drug Impairment Suspected or Detected

10 11 15 11 20 67 0.4% 0.5% 0.6% 0.4% 0.7% 0.5%

Unknown 174 197 214 197 230 1,012

6.8% 8.3% 8.4% 7.6% 8.5% 7.9%

Total 2,563 2,361 2,561 2,608 2,720 12,813 20.0% 18.4% 20.0% 20.4% 21.2%

Considering crashes which led to a fatal or disabling injury for a pedestrian, alcohol/drug use was suspected or detected in 10 percent of drivers in these crashes (Table 11). This is more than twice the overall rate for drivers.

Table 11 Driver use of alcohol or drugs by pedestrian injury level

Driver alcohol/drug use suspected or detected

Fatal or Disabling Injury (Pedestrian)

Evident, Possible, No, or Unknown

Injury (Pedestrian) Total

Yes 166 392 558

10.0% 3.9% 4.7%

No 1,488 9,755 11,243 90.0% 96.1% 95.3%

Total 1,654 10,147 11,801 14.0% 86.0%

Where Pedestrian Crashes Occur

Development Extent Between 2012 and 2016, urban areas accounted for 75 percent of pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes while rural areas accounted for 25 percent (Figure 1). Rural-urban coding may not reflect land use patterns, however. When looking at development density, as coded by crash reporting agencies, it is seen that crashes are even more heavily weighted toward areas that are at least somewhat developed (Table 12). Over 87 percent of crashes occur in areas that are at least 30 percent developed, with close to 13 percent in areas less than 30 percent developed.


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Areas between 30 and 70 percent developed may represent areas in transition, where infrastructure is often still more rural in nature and traffic speeds remain high, while traffic volumes and roadway complexity are increasing.

Table 12 Pedestrian crashes by development extent

Development extent 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

Rural (<30% Developed) 395 378 398 375 356 1,902

13.2% 13.7% 13.3% 12.3% 11.2% 12.7% Mixed (30% To 70% Developed)

427 368 428 424 460 2,107 14.2% 13.3% 14.3% 13.9% 14.4% 14.1%

Urban (>70% Developed)

2,175 2,015 2,163 2,255 2,376 10,984 72.6% 73.0% 72.4% 73.8% 74.4% 73.3%

Total 2,997 2,761 2,989 3,054 3,192 14,993 20.0% 18.4% 19.9% 20.4% 21.3%

Development Type On average, more than half (51%) of pedestrian crashes occurred in areas indicated as commercial districts, 35 percent in residential areas, around 10 percent in areas designated as farms, woods, or pastures, 3 percent in institutional areas, and less than 1 percent in industrial areas ( Table 13).

Table 13 Pedestrian crashes by development type

Development type 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

Commercial 1,430 1,409 1,546 1,585 1,722 7,692 47.7% 51.0% 51.7% 51.9% 53.9% 51.3%

Farms, Woods, Pastures 317 286 296 271 280 1,450

10.6% 10.4% 9.9% 8.9% 8.8% 9.7%

Industrial 17 21 21 23 14 96

0.6% 0.8% 0.7% 0.8% 0.4% 0.6%

Institutional 84 89 95 88 112 468

2.8% 3.2% 3.2% 2.9% 3.5% 3.1%

Residential 1,149 956 1,031 1,087 1,064 5,287 38.3% 34.6% 34.5% 35.6% 33.3% 35.3%

Total 2,997 2,761 2,989 3,054 3,192 14,993 20.0% 18.4% 19.9% 20.4% 21.3%


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Temporal and Environmental Factors

Month of Year Pedestrian crashes occur throughout the year but are highest in the fall and lowest in the summer (Figure 4). October through December when daylight periods are shorter, and students have returned to school, accounted for 30 percent of all crashes during the study period. By comparison, June through August accounted for 22 percent.

Figure 4 Pedestrian crashes by month

Day of Week and Time of Day Fridays had the most pedestrian crashes over the study period with 16 percent while Sundays had the fewest with 10 percent (Figure 5), these days are the same as for bicycle crashes.

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Figure 5 Pedestrian crashes by day of week

Over 21 percent of all reported crashes occurred between 6 and 9 pm (Figure 6). Overnight and morning hours have the lowest frequency of crashes.

Figure 6 Pedestrian crashes by time of day

Light Conditions Around 55 percent of crashes happened during daylight hours (Figure 7). An additional 39 percent occurred on dark roadways (over 17% on dark, unlighted road sections). Dawn and dusk conditions combined account for 4.5 percent of crashes, with all other or unknown lighting conditions accounting for just over 1 percent. There is some variability across years in these percentages, but no distinct trends.

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Figure 7 Pedestrian crashes by light conditions

There are significant differences between rural and urban locations for dark roadway crashes (Table 14). Over 41 percent of all rural crashes occurred on dark, unlighted roadways compared with under 9 percent in urban areas. Around 8 percent of rural night-time crashes involved a lighted roadway compared with over 27 percent in urban areas. Nationally, 75 percent of all pedestrians killed were killed in collisions at night (on both unlighted and lighted roads, data from NHTSA, not shown). However, even lighted roadways may not have sufficient or correctly-designed lighting to help motorists detect pedestrians crossing roadways at night. See this FHWA report (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/08053/) by Gibbons et al (2008) for more information on lighting design to better illuminate pedestrians at crossing locations.

Table 14 Rural/urban crashes by light conditions

Light conditions Rural Urban Total

Daylight 1,744 6,528 8,272 46.2% 58.2% 55.2%

Dusk 89 309 398

2.4% 2.8% 2.7%

Dawn 57 188 245

1.5% 1.7% 1.6%

Dark-lighted roadway 294 3,094 3,388

7.8% 27.6% 22.6% Dark-roadway not lighted

1,567 967 2,534 41.5% 8.6% 16.9%

Other / unknown 24 132 156

0.6% 1.2% 1.0%

Total 3,775 11,218 14,993 25.2% 74.8%

55.1%

2.8%1.7%

22.0%

17.3%

1.1%Daylight

Dusk

Dawn

Dark - Lighted Roadway

Dark - Roadway NotLighted

Other / Unknown

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/08053/


18

Weather The majority of pedestrian crashes occurred during clear weather (76%); cloudy weather accounted for an additional 14 percent (Figure 8). Any year-to-year variations in the percentage occurring during poor weather conditions is likely related to exposure (e.g. more snowy crashes in years where the State received more snowfall).

Figure 8 Pedestrian crashes by weather conditions

Roadway Characteristics

Roadway Type Seventy-one percent of pedestrian collisions occurred on two-way, undivided roadways, 13 percent on two-way roads divided by an unprotected median, 5 percent on two-way roads divided by a positive median barrier and 8 percent on one-way roads (Figure 9). Note that these designations are based on crash reporting; more accurate estimations of roadway characteristics may be obtained by joining the crash data with accurate roadway inventory data.

76.0%

14.1%

8.5% 1.3%

Clear

Cloudy

Rain

Other


19

Figure 9 Pedestrian crashes by road configuration

Speed Limit When speed limits were known and reported, 69 percent of pedestrian crashes occurred on roads of 35 mph or lower. These statistics likely reflect the fact that urban streets and commercial thoroughfares, where more pedestrians tend to walk, generally have limits of 35 mph or lower. However, pedestrian crashes on higher speed roads are typically more severe (Figure 10). On average, just under 9 percent of those struck on roads with speed limits of 25 mph or lower were killed or suffered a disabling injury. The proportion of severe crashes begins to climb rapidly with higher speed limit roads to where over half of those struck on roads with speeds limits 60 mph or greater were killed or suffered disabling injury. Fifty-nine percent of those struck, whose injuries were fatal or disabling, were struck on roads with speed limits 40 mph or greater. For comparison, roadways with speed limits of 40 mph or greater account for 32 percent of pedestrian crashes of all severities over the study period.9

9 Crash data do not provide good information on actual travel speeds of the striking vehicle, but the speed limit of the roadway provides general information about the prevailing travel speeds.

8.2%

71.1%

12.7%

5.2% 2.8%

One-Way, Not Divided

Two-Way, Not Divided

Two-Way, Divided, UnprotectedMedian

Two-Way, Divided, Positive MedianBarrier

Unknown


20

Figure 10 Pedestrian crashes and fatal/disabling injury by posted speed limit of roadway

The crash factors discussed in this summary provide information useful for assessing problems and providing safe and accessible pedestrian facilities for local and State roads. Resources such as the North Carolina Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety Assessment Guide, PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System, and others can provide additional assistance with diagnosing and identifying appropriate treatments for pedestrian safety issues. For more information about pedestrian crashes and potential countermeasures in North Carolina and events leading up to the crashes, see the companion North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Types summary report.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5 - 15 MPH 20 - 25MPH

30 - 35MPH

40- 45MPH

50 - 55MPH

60 - 75MPH

Perc

ent f

atal

Num

ber

of p

edes

tria

ns st

ruck

Total % Fatal

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/research/RNAProjDocs/RSA_Guide_FINAL.pdf


http://www.pedbikesafe.org/pedsafe/



21

References

Gibbons, R.B., C. Edwards, B. Williams, and C.K. Andersen. (2008). Informational Report on Lighting Design for Midblock Crosswalks. FHWA Report No. FHWA-HRT-08-053, Office of Safety Research and Development, Federal Highway Administration: McLean, VA, 27 pp. Available at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/08053/ North Carolina 2016 Traffic Crash Facts: An Illustrated Analysis of North Carolina Crash Statistics. (2017). Retrieved from https://connect.ncdot.gov/business/DMV/DMV%20Documents/2016%20Crash%20Facts.pdf North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. (n.d.). County Estimates. Retrieved from https://www.osbm.nc.gov/demog/county-estimates PEDSAFE 2013: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System. Prepared for the Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.pedbikesafe.org/pedsafe/ Stutts, J.C., and Hunter, W.W. (1999). Injuries to Pedestrians and Bicyclists: An Analysis Based on Hospital Emergency Department Data. (Report No. FHWA-RD-99-078). Retrieved from the Federal Highway Administration website: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/pedbike/research/99078/dot_form.htm Thomas, L., Gelinne, D., Brookshire, K., Sundstrom, C., and LaJeunesse, S. (2018). North Carolina Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety Assessment Guide. (RP 2016-14). Retrieved from the North Carolina Department of Transportation website: https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/research/RNAProjDocs/RSA_Guide_FINAL.pdf

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/08053/

https://connect.ncdot.gov/business/DMV/DMV%20Documents/2016%20Crash%20Facts.pdf

https://www.osbm.nc.gov/demog/county-estimates


https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/pedbike/research/99078/dot_form.htm


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